We introduce a class of volume-contracting surface diffeomorphisms whose dynamics is intermediate between one-dimensional dynamics and general surface dynamics. For that type of systems one can associate to the dynamics a reduced one-dimensional model and it is proved a type of $C^\infty-$closing lemma on the support of every ergodic measure. We also show that this class contains H\'enon maps with Jacobian in $(-1/4,1/4)$.

Categories: math.DS

Strongly dissipative surface diffeomorphisms